Western Sydney University

Western Sydney University experienced a significant data security breach earlier this year, resulting in the compromise of sensitive personal data belonging to both students and staff. The incident exposed confidential information, potentially including identifiers, academic records, financial details, or employment-related data. While the exact method of the breach (e.g., phishing, system vulnerability, or external cyber attack) was not specified, the exposure of such data poses severe risks ranging from identity theft and financial fraud to reputational damage for the institution. The breach underscores vulnerabilities in the university’s cybersecurity infrastructure, raising concerns about compliance with data protection regulations and the long-term trust of stakeholders. The university has acknowledged the incident but has not disclosed whether ransomware was involved or if the data was exfiltrated for malicious use outside the organization.

Source: https://www.teiss.co.uk/news/western-sydney-university-confirms-data-security-breach-affecting-students-and-staff-16601

TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/institute-for-culture-and-society-ics

"id": "ins1432714102425",
"linkid": "institute-for-culture-and-society-ics",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "10/2025",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"

{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': ['students', 'staff'],
                        'industry': 'Higher Education',
                        'location': 'Australia',
                        'name': 'Western Sydney University',
                        'type': 'Educational Institution'}],
 'data_breach': {'personally_identifiable_information': True,
                 'sensitivity_of_data': 'High',
                 'type_of_data_compromised': ['sensitive personal data']},
 'description': 'Western Sydney University suffered a significant data '
                'security incident earlier this year that compromised the '
                'sensitive personal data of its students and staff.',
 'impact': {'data_compromised': ['sensitive personal data of students and '
                                 'staff']},
 'title': 'Western Sydney University Data Security Breach',
 'type': 'Data Breach'}